


Muse

by amandnya



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, I MADE TOMESTONES MODERN- DEAL WITH IT, Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), literally the only characters in here are all ocs, popstar/bodyguard au, rated M bc ooh shit gets bad, shipping my WoL with my friend's bc i can
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:55:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29350059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandnya/pseuds/amandnya
Summary: When Eorzean popstar, Kelaria, starts getting intense letters, gifts, and unexpected visits from a stalker, her manager and best friend decides its time to hire a bodyguard for her. Crash, bounty hunter, has been looking for the man stalking Kelaria to complete a job. Taking the job, Crash figures he can use Kelaria to persuade the stalker out of hiding andfinish two jobs at once. What he doesn't count on is catching feelings for Kelaria.(THIS IS LITERALLY A FIC I AM WRITING PURELY FOR MY FRIENDS, FEEL FREE TO IGNORE IT LMAO)
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)





	Muse

**Author's Note:**

> in case anyone is reading this, i am linking pictures of all main characters for this story
> 
> [here](https://twitter.com/goodgirlkelaria/status/1359749896883085313) are the characters
> 
> thank u and have fun with my bad writing

The lights dimmed as she finished her last song, the cheering crowd getting louder with every passing second. A warm sensation spread throughout her chest at the thought that the crowd, hundreds upon hundreds of people, were here for her, cheering her name so energetically. She said her goodbyes when the lights came back on, telling her fans just how much they meant to her and how she will always treasure this moment forever, before leaving to go backstage. The cheers were louder if that were possible and she found it hard to keep a smile off of her face.

Kelaria was immediately flocked by her manager and good friend, Arenvanaux and Sunny. Arenvanaux immediately clapped her on the shoulder. “You did good. Best performance I think you’ve done so far.”

She laughed, “You’re just saying that because this show puts gil in your pockets.” She didn’t mean it, never meant it when she said things like that. She knew Arenvanaux was genuine with her when he said things like that- he was never the type of person to say something he never meant.

“I mean it. You were brilliant.” He smiled down at her while Sunny stood by her side, nodding. He was simply the botanist that provided the materials for her outfits but they became quick and great friends to the point where he was at all of her shows.

Sunny placed his hand on her other shoulder, “Let’s get you back to the inn. You must be tired.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. After working together and knowing each other for years, it wasn’t hard for one to look at the other and see what was racing through their mind, even when they didn’t voice it out loud.

Kelaria simply looked back at him with her own smile and nodded, appreciative that he understood her so well. Arenvanaux put his hand on her back and together with Sunny, they guided her through the stream of stagehands that weaved their ways through the halls of the stadium. Multiple people stopped and complimented her for her shows, thanking her for stopping by their town. She smiled at them and thanked them for helping out on her show, that she never would have been able to do it without them. She would have offered them a picture or a signed orchestrion roll if Arenvanaux was actively trying to get her outside.

The chocobo carriage was ready for them when they stepped outside. The coachman opened and closed the door behind the three of them before taking his spot at the front with the birds. Kelaria was glad that Arenvanaux opted out of an open carriage; while the night breeze would feel nice, after a long show, she was more than happy to accept the privacy the carriage’s wall provided. As the carriage lurched forward, she pulled out her tomestone and swiped through the many communication spots that her fans frequented. She had just finished and there were already pictures of the show, even some short films of it! Her smile grew bigger and every now and then she would lean over to show Arenvanaux and Sunny a certain comment or photo. The minutes of her swiping through her tomestone ran out as soon they had arrived at their inn in Ul’dah.

Kelaria exited the carriage first followed closely by Sunny. Arenvanaux stayed behind to help the coachman take down the suitcases. Kelaria tried to get them to allow her to help but they simply waved her and Sunny off in the direction of the inn. Sunny chuckled and shrugged, nudging Kelaria gently to get her to follow him into building.

The walk to her room was quiet, a comfortable silence falling between them. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of her heels on the hardwood floor. Until Sunny spoke up, breaking the silence.

“What in the seven hells?” His tone was something that she couldn’t place. It was a mix between anger, surprise, and almost fear. But she didn’t understand why until she looked at the door to her room and saw exactly what had shocked Sunny.

Her door was open- no, _broken_ open as the handle was only hanging on by a single screw. The door was cracked open, the inside of her room slightly visible from the small space, and the both of them were so concentrated on trying to figure out what exactly was going on, that they did not hear Arenvanaux approach them. “What are you two doing? Kelaria, you need sleep, why are you out here and not in your-“ His eyes flicked from them to her door, where he quickly understood what the holdup was. “Room?”

“Wait here,” Sunny took a step towards the open door, “I’ll check it out.” He turned back to Kelaria before she could take a step with him, “You stay here.”

“And let you go in there by yourself? Absolutely not! What if someone is still in there?” She approached the door before Sunny could stop her. She placed her hand on the door and slowly pushed it open, afraid that if she went too fast that someone would come running out.

Sunny and Auvernaux, as if fearing the same thing, rushed in front of her and into the room. Kelaria watched as they quickly went through all the rooms in the suite before returning to the lounge. They looked at each other and shook their heads, a mutual understand that the other had found nothing.

Kelaria stepped into the room and gasped at the state that the room was in. It was messy, as if a pack of wind sprites had come in and wreaked havoc for the past four bells. Her clothing and papers, both music sheets and random pages she recognized as pages she scribbled on to keep her occupied before the show started, were strewn across all of the rooms. Her eyebrows furrowed as she made her way into the bedroom, following the mess back to what seemed to be the source of it all.

Her clothing hamper was overturned and all of her clothing, both her casual and show clothing, was thrown across every surface that could be seen. Her luggage was open and had been gone through. Her bed looked as if it had never been made before.

Sighing and confused as to who would do such a thing, Kelaria set upon cleaning up all of her clothing. She could hear Sunny and Arenvanaux talking about possible theories as to what exactly happened, possibly talking to the inn’s manager via linkpearl. She would let them handle the discussions while she set upon cleaning her room up.

After her clothing was all picked up and put away in their respective place, she set herself to the task of fixing her bed. She pulled back the sheets and found her pillows piled together in the middle of the bed. She signed again and picked one up, ready to set it in its rightful place, but stopped briefly when she felt that her pillow was wet. Not entirely, she noticed. There were only certain spots on it where she felt the wetness. She turned it over in her hands, trying to figure out exactly what was on the pillow, when a picture fell to the floor.

Picking it up, she saw that the picture contained a male, Miqo’te she was assuming based on the fact that there was a tail circling the man’s waist. The photo showed him from the mouth down, the top portion of his face a mystery. He was smirking in the picture, tongue sticking out as if he was tracing his teeth with the appendage. Looking at it more, she noticed that he was shirtless, his toned chest on full view. He was shirtless, the red tattoo standing out vibrantly against his tanned skin. His hand was clutched in the pillow that was placed between his thighs, the same one she was holding in her hand. And directly above it, standing upright and leaking, was his-

“Kelaria, how is everything in here?” Sunny and Arenvanaux had walked into her room right as her mid pieced together exactly what was the source of wetness on the pillow.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Dropping the pillow and picture, she ran to the bathroom and headed straight to the wastebin. Sunny rushed in after her, worried for his best friend even if he was unsure what was exactly going on with her.

Arenvanaux looked to the picture and pillow on the ground, curiosity getting the better of him. He knelt down to pick them both up but froze when he saw the picture. His hand was frozen in place above the pillow, eyes going back and forth between the picture and pillow. He could hear Kealria retching in the bathroom and, as he realized the connection between the picture and pillow, he felt as if he was also needing a trip to the bathroom. He grabbed the photo only and stood up, memorizing the picture as much as he hated to stare at it.

The tub’s water turned on and Sunny stepped out, closing the door behind him. “I don’t know what’s going on but she’s freaked out.” Arenvanaux didn’t say a word to him, simply handed the picture over to him. He could see the exact moment that Sunny got furious as he went stiff, his body seeming to freeze up as rage overtook him. If looks could kill, the man in the picture would already be six feet under.

Arenvanaux sighed, “This seems to be the same guy that sends her letters every week and pictures of her out on town. Breaking into her inn room, that no one but us knew the location of, is something major and has gotten out of hand. We can’t guarantee her safety from him anymore.” Arenvanaux said what seemed to be on Sunny’s mind, “We need to get her a bodyguard.”

\--

Crash dropped the ruby ring onto the table, the clattering noise barely audible in the packed tavern.

“My grandmother’s ring!” The lalafell woman snatched it up and held it close to her chest, tears streaming down her face. “Did you also do what I asked regarding my ex-lover?”

“Let’s, uh, just say that he won’t be bothering you at all anymore.” Crash’s heart went out to her, it really did. Having your lover, almost ten times your height, belittle and beat you until you can barely walk was something that no one deserved to go through. So when she approached Crash with her job request, tears in her eyes and lip trembling, how could he say no to her?

She nodded, “Thank you. Really. For helping me out and retrieving my ring.” She placed a leather bag on the table, “Your payment for helping me out. May you ever walk in the light.”

Crash nodded to her, “You too.” He grabbed the bag and weighed it in his hand. Finally, dinner and a room for tonight. He was almost concerned that he wasn’t going to be able to get enough in time. Luckily, being a bounty hunter means that there’s always a job somewhere if you know just who to look to.

Nodding to her one last time, Crash left the tavern and headed out into the scorching weather of Thanalan. He wouldn’t mind finding an inn in Thanalan but Ul’dah would have a larger range and there was always someone who needed business done in the jeweled city. As much as he dreaded the journey to Ul’dah in this heat, he made his way to the city.

The noise of Ul’dah reached him before he saw the city’s walls. Soon, he was passing by the Ala Mhigo refugees, their chatter softer than the noises from the city but it stood out more to Crash. He wished he could help them; all the families that were broken and have gone through so much, desperate to get a second chance at life, but were turned away before they could even try. But there were too many of them, too many things that would need to be done to ensure that they would be safe and stable, and he was only one man. He hated the thought that there was nothing he could do but he was basically in the same spot as them, nothing more than a wondering soul who did whatever work came his way so he could make it to see tomorrow’s light.

He entered through the gate, head down to avoid attention, and began to make his way to the aventurer’s guild, knowing that Momodi would be able to point him in the direction of work. But before he could get past the first street, the sound of someone yelling caught his attention. Glancing in that direction, he found an Elzen man yelling across the way for those who roamed the streets.

“Seeking the help of anyone! Miqo’te, Lalafells, Hyur, anyone! We need your help with this!” He waved around something in his hand, a picture. It was hard to see what the picture was of as the man continued to wave it around while still yelling, but once he paused his motions, the picture was clear to see. Nothing strange. Just a shirtless man clutching something in the lower part of the picture. The only thing that really stood out was the tattoo above his right hip. A dark red circle with three lines going through it.

Crash almost did a double take when he saw the tattoo. “Khona’sae,” Without realizing it, he had spoken the man’s name, his mouth immediately felt bitter as if the name had a taste to it. He’s been looking for him for so long, he was almost starting to believe that he would never find him. He remembers the night two moons ago when about half a dozen men approached him with the job of hunting down a Miqo’te who had harmed their daughters, done terrible things to them. After hearing their story, and how much they were willing to reward him if he was successful, he took the job but knew nothing more than the man’s race and the marking he bore on his body, his tattoo.

Crash came back to the present to find the Elzen man still calling out to the people that passed him by. Crash approached him, “What’s the job?”

The man looked him up and down, nodding, “You would do. How do you fancy helping us out?”

_‘Us?’_ Crash looked around the man but found no one else. “Uh, sure. What do you need?” He pointed to the picture, “That have anything to do with it”?

The man handed him the picture, “ _Everything_. We’re looking for someone to keep him away from our girl, protect her. Looking for a bodyguard. The guy has been harassing my client for as long as I can remember. It hasn’t been bad but recently it got worse.” He motioned to the picture. “Found this a few nights ago in her inn room, along with a _special piece of himself_ that he left behind.” The man practically spat his words out. “And how he even knew about that is a mystery to me.” He glared at the photo and Crash could mentally see the cogs turning in his head as he tried to figure it out.

Crash shook his head, “I’m not a bodyguard, I’m a bounty hunter.” And just when he thought he would be able to get two birds with one stone. He hunts people, not protects them. But, if he did take the job then he might be able to complete his first one.

“I could pay you like one. You’ll get paid every week that you work for us. Besides, this won’t be permanent for you. You’ll only have to work until we can find someone to fill the spot.” He sighed, “Please. We need the help. She’s freaked out but puts on a strong face. I know she’s scared and you would just need to stay by her side for a few weeks, a couple of months at most.”

Crash gazed down the main road of Ul’dah. He was never one to take more than one job, but if he took this job then he would be able to draw out Khona’sae with this girl he’s apparently after. All he has to do if stay close to her, catch a glimpse of the Miqo’te, and then finish the jobs. It’s a win-win for both parties; the group of fathers will be at ease and these people won’t have to worry about him harassing this girl. “Alright,” He looked back at the Elzen man, “I’ll do it.”

The man looked like he was going to rush forward and hug Crash. “Great! I have the contract back at our studio. It’s not far from here, it’s just in Mor Dhona.”

“That’s at least a day trip by chocobo.” Crash had made the journey multiple times, he knows the distance between Ul’dah and Mor Dhona is not ‘not far’.

“Oh, we won’t be going by chocobo.” He chuckled when he saw Crash’s confused expression. “Follow me, my boy.” He waved his hand at Crash and began walking in the direction of Ruby Road Exchange. “We will be going by airship. You have been on an airship before, yes?” Crash nodded to the man who smiled at him and clapped his hands together, “Perfect! You wouldn’t believe how many people have yet to be on an airship.” They were waiting in the line for the tickets when he spoke up again, “Don’t worry about paying.” Before Crash could say ‘thank you’ to him, he had turned and was speaking to the woman behind the counter.

“Oh, Mr. Aurenvanaux! Glad to see you again. Will you be taking your airship back or have plans changed?”

_‘_ His _airship? Who is this guy?’_ Crash looked back and forth between the two as they spoke, trying to piece together exactly what was going on and who exactly this guy was in order for him to have his _own_ airship.

“Great! Thank you so much, Greta. See you at next moon’s concert!” The Elzen, Aurenvanaux, waved to the woman before walking through the gates, Crash right behind him least he want to be left behind before his job has even started.

\--

The streets of Mor Dhona, although not as populated as the other city states, was bustling with something new in every direction Crash looked. Merchants, adventurers, researchers, and so many more that Crash couldn’t even describe weaved around one another as they carried on with their days.

Aurenvanaux walked towards Rowena’s House of Splendors then took a left before they hit the merchants’ stalls. Entering the door up the stairs, he greeted the woman at the desk with a nod before continuing down the hall in front of them. “This entire building belongs to us. Well, not _entirely_ us but we are the only ones allowed to use it.” Aurenvanaux informed Crash, “So please do not worry about anyone giving you trouble. The only trouble you will come across here is probably Sunny but he doesn’t bite if you don’t.” He laughed, a good laugh that Crash could tell was a genuine from the gut laugh. There must be something about this Sunny person that Aurenvanaux thinks in funny regarding his statement. Oh well, Crash will probably find out himself in the days to come.

“But do not let your mind linger on him too much, he is away on business at the moment. Besides,” Aurenvanaux stopped at the last door in the hallway and turned to face Crash, his hand on the doorknob. Crash could hear music coming from the room, loud enough that he could slightly feel the floorboards shaking under him. “You’re here to meet the one you will be protecting.” Without another word, he opened the door and allowed Crash to step in.

The music was louder without the door in front of him to block the noise, but that’s not what caught his attention the most. What did, was the girl dancing in the middle of the room in beat with the music. Despite the mirrors lining the opposite wall, Crash found it hard to catch a steady look of her. Until the music stopped and Aurenvanaux was calling her over.

“Kelaria, sweetie, I have someone I would like you to meet.”

The girl, Kelaria, turned at the sound of his voice and upon seeing Crash, smiled immediately at him. She came over and accepted the cup that Aurenvanaux handed her. “Sorry, I probably look like a mess. I wasn’t expecting any visitors today.” Her smile got bigger and stuck her hand out to him, “Kelaria, its nice to meet you…?” She trailed off, eyes never leaving Crash’s.

He grabbed her hand with his own, mentally noting how much smaller hers was than his. “Crash. I’m your new bodyguard.” He watched as she perked up, eyes basically lighting up as he said that.

“Perfect! I look forward to working with you!” He felt her grip on his hand get tighter, her excitement barely being contained.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small part of Crash worried if he was doing the right thing by taking this job. He was going to be using her to draw out Khona’sae so he could complete his first job. But he brushed that thought away and nodded to her, “Me too.”


End file.
